In case you weren’t aware, we participate in this Monday Mixer thing which was started by Ben over at The Metropolitan Jolt and basically each week, one of a group of us sends out a theme and everyone picks a song on that theme. This week it was my turn to pick and, not surprisingly, the theme that I went with was lo-fi. Basically, songs that sound like the way the picture above works (by the way, we got that image from futureneer). Here’s what everyone picked, starting with myself.
Chris @ dailybeatz
Crystal Stilts – Shake The Shackles
Lo-fi has crept its way into my musical territory and taken command of things pretty quickly. I’ve really been digging on the new Crystal Stilts album In Love With Oblivion and the song that began all that was “Shake The Shackles” which I first heard way back in the fall. It turns out that the rest of the album is just as enjoyable, with its bright and shining guitars juxtaposed with the lo-fi vocals, all with 70s surf rock melodies. It’s like the musical equivalent of a recipe that has a whole bunch of textures that work together in perfect harmony.
Ben @ The Metropolitan Jolt
Niva – Ghost In My Head
Ever since I discovered Niva, I have loved his music. I have featured him on Metrojolt twice, including an interview. His work is dreamy and spacey, with a very mesmerizing effect. I decided on “Ghost In My Head” for this week, but you should also check out “The Boy From The Sun”.
David @ SFCritic
Pure Ecstasy – Easy
Ever since stumbling upon Pure Ecstasy I’ve been hooked. The group’s lo-fi beach buzz sound reverberates against the vocals in-n-out vocal clarity, as though the band is playing to the listener across the ocean, drawing near with the tide and disappearing as the waves crash.
Confusion @ Pigeons and Planes
The Mountain Goats – Palmcorder Yajna
Old stuff from The Mountain Goats isn’t as crisp as their new music, but there’s something endearing about it. It’s like looking at a Polaroid picture – it might be a little out of focus or slightly faded, but it’s honest. A lot of bands try to recreate the lo-fi sound for a hipster effect, but you can usually spot these guys as easily as you can spot the guy who paid $500 for his “vintage” jeans that come pre-ripped. It took me a little while to get used to the nasally vocals of John Darnielle, but The Mountain Goats have always come across as one of the most genuine bands out there.
Marc @ umstrum
Junesex – Worst Than Love
This track is soft and minimal in its arrangements, with only synths, beatbox and vocals building its simple yet effective structure. it feels smooth and mellow and brings back memories of warm summer nights.
Marcus @ A Pocket Full Of Seeds
The Dirtbombs – Get It While You Can
The Dirtbombs is basically 2 drummers and and 2 bass players building the walls for Mick Collins to destroy with his belt sanded guitar and vocals that couldn’t come from anywhere other than Detroit. They create a noise that you could probably spend years trying to harness in recording and production but works best screaming on your knees into a dictaphone. The fierce and awesome energy which put them in Spin Magazines top 10 live bands exudes from every track on their ’03 full length Dangerous Magical Noise which sprawls across garage, soul, pop, and punk but for the really scuzzy stuff get yourself a copy of If You Don’t Already Have A Look, a compilation of B-Sides and covers from their extraordinary back catalogue. In fact you should really just spend the day with The Dirtbombs.
Owen @ Wine and Bowties
Toro Y Moi – My Touch
“My Touch” kinda just flows into my brain. Chaz Bundick captures a dreamy, hazy sound with this one. I almost don’t realize I’m listening to a song. Or I can’t remember what life was like before I hit play. Or I feel like I’m underwater. It depends on the moment. But if you’re daydreaming, I don’t think you can go wrong with this one.
Joseph @ Nashville Nights
The fuzzy guitar riffs and muffled drum beats of the lo-fi sound are not my specialty but I do have a few favorites within the genre, Evan P Donohue being one of them. If Marc Bolan and Jack White were drugs, Evan would take a few hits of each before writing his smart garage pop, blending elements of blues, surf and rock into his sun drenched anthems. When not standing on bar tops performing impromptu guitar solos for one of his sold out crowds, he’s in the studio working on new material. “Irene” is loosely based on a character in Woody Allen’s “Stardust Memories.” Written from the perspective of a mother worried about her troubled daughter, it’s comical, interesting and impossible to get out of your head.
